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Crytek making Homefront sequel

Though Homefront's creator, Kaos Studios, has shut down, the franchise lives on. THQ announced today that Crysis developer Crytek will be making the sequel, headed to PC and consoles in 2014.

The closure of Homefront developer Kaos Studios earlier this year left the future of the near-future shooter franchise in question, but THQ announced today that a sequel's on the way. Surprisingly, it'll be made by Crysis creator Crytek.

THQ coyly avoids saying much about the game, but in 2010 it spoke of plans for a Homefront: London at some point in the series. Whatever this sequel turns out to be, it's headed to PC and consoles in 2014.

"Selecting Crytek to take Homefront forward underscores our strategy of working with the industry's best talent," THQ core games EVP Danny Bilson said in the announcement. "With Crytek's industry leading technology and legendary experience in the FPS genre, we're supremely confident that the next Homefront will deliver that AAA-quality experience that players demand."

Crytek is also unsurprisingly enthusiastic, with CEO Cevat Yerli saying, "We see Homefront as a really strong universe that has a lot of potential and that has been expertly created and marketed by THQ."

"We believe that bringing our level of quality, creativity and production values to the next Homefront title creates an opportunity for both THQ and Crytek to deliver a truly blockbuster game. It's really important to us that THQ has the faith in giving us a lot of creative freedom over one of its most important properties to allow us to bring the Homefront world to life in a new and innovative way."

Evidently, THQ's new strategy of focusing on "high-quality owned IP with broad appeal" includes using external studios to work on its own properties. That recent "strategic realignment" saw THQ close another two of its internal studios lay off around 200 people as it moved away from making licensed and kids' games.

The original Homefront launched to a lukewarm critical reception in March, but, according to THQ estimates, sold one million units in its first ten days. Today's announcement described Homefront as "a commercial success for THQ."